Happy Birthday To Me!

Happy Birthday To Me
Happy Birthday to Me

God has showered me with blessings

for my golden jubilee!

Isn't this a great birthday gift!? There are still a few things to put back into place, but I'm so happy with my new look! Amy, from Split Decisions did a great job! Thank you Amy for all the hours you spent on this....and for putting up with my endless emails!

I haven't been looking forward to this birthday at all. When my oldest daughter turned 30 a few months ago, I suddenly realized....wow....if she's 30....that must make me.....well.....there's no other way to put it....I'm old!

Birthdays have never been a big deal to me...turning 30 was fine.....turning 40 was even okay....but this one, it doesn't even have a nice sound to it. I can't even think of one good thing about being this age! When I said to my dad that I felt old, he said, "Try being 80!" Trust Dad to put things in perspective!

Anyway...I decided I better find some way to make this milestone worthwhile. First I decided to use a different word than....THAT age...something pretty and happy sounding. Don't you think Jubilee sounds much nicer than THAT other word? Then I decided that I might as well get some mileage out of this once in a lifetime occasion...so I told my husband..very nicely of course...that I had picked my own birthday gifts. I said I wanted two makeovers.....yeah I know...it would TAKE two makeovers to make me look young, now that I'm THAT age! Actually though....I only wanted one makeover for me...the other makeover was for my blog. As you can see, the blog makeover worked out great! The other one....well what can I say...she didn't have much to work with. But why tell you about it when I can show you?! This makeover was courtesy of Tabitha, a friend from church.

Okay, this is my before picture.

This is after....can you see the difference? Actually I'm a little bit more blond than silver in this one. I know it's hard to tell....but this is the first time since I was in my mid-twenties that I have had my hair colored...so she went easy on me!

This is after the makeup.....and before I could get home to wipe some off!!And this is later that day...after I took off some eye makeup and redid my hair. Yes...Tabitha...I'm a hopeless cause!

And after about two dozen pictures, taken by my husband, this is the one we chose for my new profile picture. I've never spent alot of time looking at pictures of myself...until now....and I realized that when I smile...my eyes close! ...well, just about. So, this was one of the few pictures where you can see my eyes....by the quizzical look on my face, I think I'm about to ask...are you taking the picture yet??

Now aren't you glad you came to my blog today!? Yup, it's all about me, and my Happy Jubilee!

Just so you don't go away without something slightly spiritual, I found a verse to go with my birthday celebration. I love it! What a challenge...to spend this entire year proclaiming liberty throughout all the land. So let me begin by asking you a question... Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour? For it's only in Christ that you will find true liberty; and it's only through Christ that you will find access to God and to heaven.

Leviticus 25:10a And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you;

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Christ Did The Work

Christ shed his blood so willingly;

went to the cold dark tomb for me,
Then he rose again, with power on high.
It’s Christ now who lives in my heart, not I.
Christ did the work on Calvary;

secured my place eternally.
By the power of God my faith shall stand,

and not in the wisdom or might of man.
I will stand fast in liberty;

no more the yoke entangles me.
I have been set free to serve in love,

until I am called to my home above.
I will give thanks each day I live,

for blessings that my Saviour gives.
I rejoice in Christ and sing his praise;

all glory and honour are due his name.
God forbid that I should glory,

save in the cross of my Lord, Jesus Christ,
for all of my works avail nothing;

a new creature, in him, I’m alive!

I am so thankful that Jesus did all that was necessary to purchase my salvation at Calvary. Aside from accepting this free gift there is nothing I can do to earn my way into heaven, and nothing I must do to keep myself saved. There is no work of the flesh that will change my destination, or get me inside the doors of the New Jerusalem. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” he had paid it all. There is nothing I can add to the work of Christ. To him all glory and honour are due.
I am just as thankful that there is no sin in my past, my present or my future that Jesus blood cannot fully cover. It’s all under the blood. When Jesus saved me I became a new creature in him. Praise the Lord!
How sad it is that there are saved people who think that they can do something to add to the work of Christ, or that there is some sin in their past that can keep them from fully serving the Lord today. Jesus came to free us from the bonds of the law, and though we still have to live in this sinful flesh, in Christ Jesus we are already seated in heavenly places.

1 Corinthians 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God
Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world.
Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not tangled again with the yoke of bondage.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Ephesians 1:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Jesus Knows

God is the great physician, and he can make you whole.
He knows the wounds you bear; he longs to heal your soul.
Jesus can make your life new; just give your heart to him.
He’ll wash the scars away; bring healing deep within.
Jesus, the gentle shepherd, is there to guide your way.
He knows the path you take; he seeks the lost each day.
Jesus will carry you through; cast all your cares on him.
He’ll hold you to his heart; deliver you from sin.
Jesus knows your every hurt;
Jesus knows you’ve lost your way,
and there’s no need in your life, that he can’t fill today.
He’ll mend your broken heart, and never leave your side.
Reach out for the Saviour; you’ll never be denied.
Jesus knows.

No matter what our life experience has been, Jesus knows all about it. He knows how we’ve been hurt. He knows all the mistakes we’ve made in the past. He can take whatever we bring to him; all the pain, the filth, the brokenness, and give healing, cleansing and a new heart in exchange. He takes away the emptiness and fills us with his Spirit…..if only we ask him to.

Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
Mark 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Thanks for joining me! ~~~Deb

Heart Surgery

Mom & Dad in their garden

About six years ago, my dad underwent surgery to replace a valve in his heart. When the doctors opened him up, they were shocked that he was able to function at all with the condition his heart was in. After the surgery, Dad felt like a new man. He had so much more energy, and even his mind was sharper. Finally, the needed oxygen was getting through his heart to the rest of his body.
Last year, it was discovered that Dad’s heart valve had become infected, and needed to be replaced again. I’m so thankful that when we ask the Lord to save us, he doesn’t just repair our faulty heart, he gives us a new one, and along with it, a pace maker, the Holy Spirit. Although we will never have to have that new heart replaced, we can still do things that will keep it from functioning the way it should. If we allow the things of this world to clog our arteries, or sin to damage a valve, that life giving oxygen can no longer flow freely through our heart, and soon we lose our vitality. As long as we stay in close contact with the great physician, following the prescription of his word, his life will flow through our veins, giving us the strength to live this Christian life.
God is that great physician, and he holds our heart and our breath in his hand. If we’re to keep our heart right, we need to go to him and his word daily for regular check ups. It’s only when we have a song in our own heart that God can use us to reach others in need of a new heart.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Thanks for joining me! ~~~Deb

Sitting In The Window

He’s sitting in the window, checking out the view;
wondering which way he should go, questioning what is true.
He’s sitting with one foot in, leaning further out.
Feeling the tug of some sin, he’s giving in to his doubts.
She’s sitting in the window, seeing things so new;
Feeling so very alone, desiring what is true.
She’s peaking in from the world, edging further in.
Feeling the tug of the Lord, she’s longing for peace within.
Someone’s sitting in the window, choosing for eternity.
A view of the Saviour is their heart’s greatest need.
To see his grace and love shine through you and me,
May pull them through that window to faith that sets them free.

So many kids who grow up in church go through a period of questioning and doubting. Some of them feel like they are missing out, and are drawn to the world. They’re in church, but they’re on the verge of walking away. Saved or lost, these kids are about to make a decision that will have lasting consequences. On the other hand, there are kids who have not been raised in church, and know very little, if anything about God or Christ. Some have experienced pain and rejection, even abuse, or perhaps they just have the feeling that something is missing in their life. Sometimes those kids have an opportunity to visit church, or to spend time with a Christian family. Whether they are looking out, or peaking in from the world, these kids all have the same need; Jesus Christ! They need to see that the love of Christ is real. Seeing the Lord at work in our lives may be what makes the difference in which way they choose to go.

Acts 20:9a And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus,

Thanks for joining me! ~~~Deb

Is Anything In This World Really Free?

I hate offers for free stuff, because they are never really free. My guestbook for instance...it is supposed to be free...but all of a sudden ads started appearing at the top, and when I click on the icon that says remove all ads from this page....then I find out what free really means. It means it's free as long as I keep the ads on there, but if I don't want ads, then I'll have to pay for that. Like so many things I find online that are advertised as free, eventually, you find there is a catch! So, I'm probably going to have to get rid of my guestbook, or find a different one...without ads. I'm not even against ads...it's just that these ones are totally inappropriate for my site!

Anyway, that's my rant for the day.

But to answer the question in my title....Yes, there is something that's free, and that is salvation through Jesus Christ!

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8,9

Thanks for joining me! ~~~Deb

God Didn't Have To

One of the songs on the 'sonific player' on my sidebar is called "God Didn't Have To." These are the lyrics.

God didn’t have to send down his Son.
He could have found another way,
than the shedding of Jesus precious blood .
I’m not worth the price he paid.
God didn’t have to give me new life.
He could have left me as I was,
just to fumble my way through life alone.
Going to Heaven was more than enough.
God didn’t have to save me at all.
He could have left me in my sin.
All I truly deserve is death and hell, not eternal life in him.
God doesn’t have to love me but he does.
He doesn’t have to care but he does.
He doesn’t have to be merciful, gracious, and kind.
But he is because God is good. God is so good, God is so good.
He didn’t have to do anything for me.

I don’t think we can ever fully understand why God chose to redeem us the way that he did. Being God, he has the right and the power to do anything he chooses. He also didn’t have to send his Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart and help me through this life here on earth. He could have just left me to figure it all out on my own, then taken me to heaven when my time came. In fact God didn’t need to save me at all! He could have decided to just pick and choose those he wanted, rather than giving each of us a choice. When it comes right down to it, God didn’t have to save any of us! None of us deserve what he has done for us. He doesn’t have to love us, or care for us. He doesn’t have to show us kindness and mercy. He doesn’t have to intervene in our lives. But he does, because he knows what each of us need. Because God is love, and God is good! His mercy endureth forever.

Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
Psalm 106:1 Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.

Thanks for joining me! ~~~Deb

Be Of Good Cheer

When you’ve come to the end of yourself and your way,
Jesus offers forgiveness, and salvation by grace.
When you give him your heart, and hold tight to his hand,
he’ll lead you on to higher ground.
When you’re tossed with the waves in the midst of the sea,
Jesus walks on the water, and says, “Come unto me.”
When your faith is too weak, and you sink to your knees,
he’ll lift you up and restore the peace.
Be of good cheer, you’re sins are forgiven.
Be of good cheer, the Saviour is near.
Be of good cheer; Jesus is leading.
Be of good cheer; there’s no need to fear.
Jesus tells us to be of good cheer.
When he comes with a shout, in victory we’ll cheer!

Be of good cheer! In every circumstance we can find ourselves in, this is Jesus’ answer. When we finally realize we can’t make it on our own, and we turn to the Lord in repentance, Jesus says, “Be of good cheer! Your sins are forgiven!” When we mess up and sin, he’s still there to forgive, and to say, “Be of good cheer!” When we have a task before us, Jesus is right there standing beside us, just as he was for Paul. Be of good cheer! When we aren’t sure what the future holds, and things are looking grim, we can believe God and trust his word. Be of good cheer! When we’re in the midst of a storm, Jesus is right there, telling us to not be afraid. Be of good cheer!

Matthew 9:2 And, behold, they brought a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven thee.
Acts 23:11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
Acts 27:25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
Matthew 14:27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

Thanks for joining me! ~~~Deb